Sara Holliday's Prenatal Yoga - First Trimester

This 45-minute yoga workout is designed specifically for pregnant women in their first trimester, complete with postures designed to increase flexibility and strength while keeping you safe. What I like is that the workout takes into account your pregnancy but doesn't coddle you. Some moves can be challenging at times but the workout will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

You already know you need to stay active during pregnancy and that you may need to modify your workouts to accommodate your changing body. Yoga is an excellent choice during pregnancy and Sara Holliday's Prenatal Yoga DVD offers a 45-minute yoga workout specifically for your first trimester. You begin with a warm up section that includes standing poses such as forward folds, side bends, arm circles and bent-over twists, just to name a few. She picks up the pace after the warm up with sun salutations (with modifications shown). With each sun salutation, you add on other well-known moves such as Warrior I, II and triangle pose. This section flows very nicely and she gives you plenty of time to settle into each pose. The floor section includes stretches for the inner thighs, hamstrings and hips followed by relaxation and there's a separate section discussing other modifications you can make as well. Like all her videos, this one is very simple and straightforward with no fancy sets or background exercisers, just Sara surrounded by candles with a flowing white curtain behind her. My only minor complaints are that the music was too quiet and there was an echo that was a bit distracting at times. Otherwise, this is a great yoga workout whether you're pregnant or not. It's a well-choreographed yoga workout that moves gracefully between static poses and more fluid moves that are both challenging and relaxing.